Stage: Plucky Princess

She’s not a real princess, but Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic tale of a little rich girl, thrust into poverty and servitude when her father suddenly dies broke, has all the ingredients of a Cinderella story. Sara Crewe: A Little Princess is the season’s family-friendly offering from the Drama Studio, Springfield’s youth theater conservatory. Adapted by the Studio’s emeritus founder, Steve Hays, it’s sumptuously staged by a company of over 50 current students and alums. The Victorian boarding-school setting strikes echoes of Dickens and Brontë, and the young heroine’s pluck, determination and unflagging friendliness strike a heartwarming holiday note.